Tools for Advocacy

Here are some tactics and tools that you can use to advocate for smoke free movies!

When you want to reach policy makers, government officials or board members, here are some effective ways to communicate your messages.

1. Make a telephone call

Sounds easy right!? Your phone can be a useful tool for informing individuals or groups about your concerns and ideas, as well as for collecting information. You may want to call to register your opinion with an elected official, to gain support from other groups for a project, or to notify community members of an important meeting or event.

2. Write a Letter to an Elected Official

Elected officials often calculate that each letter they receive from one of their constituents represents a similar view of at least 100 people in their constituency. Letters can be an important tool in keeping elected officials and other decision makers informed of your views.

3. Visiting an Elected Official

Before you visit an official, be sure you have researched your issue and can present a clear statement of the problem, the solution you are asking for, and why you believe it is the best course of action. You should be able to explain your main concerns in two to three sentences.

4. Creating and Circulating a Petition

A petition is a paper with a collection of signatures that shows that many people agree with your position. It is a demonstration of group strength and can be a powerful tool for gaining attention for a problem or project.

5. Writing a Letter-to-the-Editor

A Letter-to-the-Editor provides an opportunity to comment on articles and advertisements appearing in local newspapers, as well as on current issues. Studies show that people read the Letters-to-the-Editor section more than they read the editorials by journalists! More importantly, Letters-to-the-Editor are widely read by community leaders and lawmakers to gauge public opinion about current issues in the news.

6. Writing a Media Advisory

If the media are interested in the issue you are promoting, you will likely get media coverage in the form of articles, editorials, and TV news pieces. You need to do or say something, however, to get their interest, such as stage an event or hold a news conference. A media advisory is a useful tool for summarizing your key arguments in a way that attracts the media’s attention.